Make a commitment to continuous learning

If you read last week’s message you know I’m taking a break from writing the weekly Monday Motivators to nurture my Wellness Pillar. As we looked through past Motivators to share with you, this one struck a chord! Our conference is just a few weeks away, in fact, registration closes tomorrow! Here’s a message about giving yourself permission to continue your learning journey for your BIG life.

Our conference is just a few weeks away and I’m over-the-moon with excitement to greet attendees from across the United States (and the world). Obviously, these are individuals who have committed to a learning event. They have committed to being away from home and their office for 4-5 full days. I guarantee they will be better people for doing so. They will learn valuable information from our speakers and their peers.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

I have been in the adult education/learning/training business for 24 years, mostly working with administrative professionals of all walks of life. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard an assistant tell me she or he is too busy to attend a class. That is short-term thinking. Anyone can make time to attend a course or event if they make investing in their education important enough. There are hundreds of assistants who make a huge investment in their education. You must value yourself enough to say, “I need to make time for my growth through a scheduled event.” It doesn’t matter if the event is an online course, a live workshop, webinar, or off-site retreat.

What holds an assistant back from investing in continued learning?

Great leaders are always investing in their education. They know it is necessary. Why should an assistant think any differently than the people they support about furthering their own education? Gain the knowledge and confidence to continue providing a new level of support as well as bring back new ideas when you return from your learning event with a fresh perspective.

Guilt is another factor that gets in the way. Even when an assistant takes time to grow by learning, they feel guilty. They also feel like the person/people they support will be able to survive without them. That is fine and dandy but will not win them the prize. While it is admirable to worry about your executive or department being taken care of, they will get along without you for a few hours or a few days. What if you had to have an operation? Or were out sick? Or had some other emergency that kept you out of the office for a week? They would find a way to handle what needs to be done during your absence.

Don’t short-change yourself. You are worth it. You need to make time for you.

Here are 4 things you can start planning for this week to continue your personal and professional learning journey.

Sign up for something educational this week. It can be a day of learning, online learning, whatever fits for you. Even if it isn’t taking place until 2015, just make a commitment to yourself this week.

You could also commit to learning a new language; learning about a foreign client’s culture, improving a technical skill.

Do your homework and be selective. There are hundreds of choices today. Have a plan and choose something you feel good about investing your time and money into because you know the outcome will be great!

Select an event or course based on either:

Your gap areas.

Your strengths (to enhance them even further).

Here’s to wishing you a great week. We hope to see you at our conference September 30 – October 3, it’s going to be mind-stretching!